Paleo Pancakes

Why This Recipe Works

Perfect pancakes should be fluffy, tender, lightly sweet, and simple to make. For a paleo recipe that would stand up to its traditional counterparts, we started by choosing the flours that would be the base of our recipe. We knew from previous testing that a combination of almond and arrowroot flours would give our pancakes volume and structure; we determined that a 5:1 ratio of almond to arrowroot worked best.

Next, we focused our attention on achieving the fluffy, light texture that is characteristic of great pancakes. Some baking soda and cream of tartar provided good lift, but the batter needed an even bigger boost. Although an extra egg white helped, tasters thought the batter could be lighter still.

The blender turned out to be the simple solution: We processed all of the liquid ingredients until the mixture was frothy, then added the dry ingredients and processed the batter for a minute longer. Mixing everything in the blender had multiple benefits: It streamlined the recipe, incorporated air into the batter to make fluffier pancakes, and ensured that the batter was perfectly smooth and pourable.

To give our pancakes a hint of sweetness, we tried incorporating a little maple syrup since we’d likely be topping our pancakes with it anyway. Unfortunately, those pancakes cooked up with pale exteriors. Switching to honey gave our pancakes a beautiful golden hue and just enough sweetness, which we accented with a hint of vanilla extract.

For our blueberry variation, we found that it worked better to stir the blueberries right into the batter; when we added them to the pancakes as they cooked, the berries left large craters in the pancakes.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon melted ghee in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until shimmering. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out ghee, leaving thin film of ghee on bottom and sides of skillet. Using 1/4 cup batter per pancake, portion batter into skillet in 3 places. Cook until edges are set and first side is golden, 2 to 4 minutes.

4. Flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately or transfer to prepared rack and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining 2 teaspoons melted ghee as necessary.

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